From the Burke County (North Dakota) Tribune and the Green Valley (Arizona) News:
Mereith Urton Nygaard
July 15, 1914 – February 14, 2008
After a short illness Mereith Nygaard passed to spirit early in the morning of Thursday, February 14, 2008 with her children and family supporting her at the Rex Ranch, Amado, Arizona.
Her full life of almost 94 years ended at the home of her daughter Patricia and son-in-law, Wayne Ross, where she had come to be cared for. Mereith loved the Rex Ranch and its family and spent her last days looking out at the Santa Rita Mountains, watching their sunrises, shadowy daylight and pink sunsets.
Mereith was the first daughter born to Ralph Walker and Ruth Phillips Urton on the Trails End Ranch, Genou, Montana, July 15, 1914. She was one of seven children raised on a sheep ranch homestead where work and responsibility were endless and community gatherings gave welcome recreation. These happier times often took place with her beloved grandparents Dora and Otis Phillips around Ruth’s grand piano in the ranch’s sun porch off an inclusive kitchen always busy with work and meals. Mereith’s sis, Betty, had quoted their mother to say, “It was too terrible to remember and no one would believe it anyway,” when asked to recount homestead life stories.
From this challenging beginning, Mereith took opportunities and guidance to become a pianist, horse woman, sheep herder, and total participant in the survival and prosperity of her family’s enterprise.
On October 27, 1937 she married Norman Nygaard in Ft. Benton, Montana. Norman and Mereith met at the Trails End where Norman had been a ranch worker for the Urtons. They made their home north of Flaxton, North Dakota on the A. J. Nygaard Farm with Norman’s father, sister, Margaret and brother, Helmer. Norman and Mereith and Helmer and his wife, Wilma, farmed together until retirement. Mereith and Norman sought a winter home in Arizona, where their children completed college after also attending school in Flaxton, North Dakota.
Mereith is preceded in death by her husband, Norman, and siblings Paul Urton, Jim Urton, Betty Hodgson and Y’vonne Rowland. She is survived by her children Marcia Olney, Leland Nygaard, Connie Transue and Patricia Ross, her sister, Roberta Thomas and brother, Bill Urton, seven grand children, twelve step-grand children and great-grand children.
Service to her communities included membership in the Pull-Together Homemakers Club of Burke County, North Dakota, Parent-Teacher Organization of Flaxton Schools, Burke County Farmer’s Union, Superintendent of Needle Crafts at the Burke County Fair and Matriarch of the Rex Ranch, Amado, Arizona.
Her practical and creative passions produced many paintings, needlework articles, a bounty of canned and baked goods as well as quilt masterpieces. She loved sharing her crafts and enjoyed participation in classes and groups. Mereith bestowed the gifts of vitality, team-work, friendship and devotion upon he family and remained active and independent to the end. She was consistently adamant that the family’s children pursue education, the arts and athletics. Her rich legacy lives on in her final directive, “Encourage them!” We miss her.
Family of Mereith Urton Nygaard
Mereith Urton Nygaard
July 15, 1914 – February 14, 2008
After a short illness Mereith Nygaard passed to spirit early in the morning of Thursday, February 14, 2008 with her children and family supporting her at the Rex Ranch, Amado, Arizona.
Her full life of almost 94 years ended at the home of her daughter Patricia and son-in-law, Wayne Ross, where she had come to be cared for. Mereith loved the Rex Ranch and its family and spent her last days looking out at the Santa Rita Mountains, watching their sunrises, shadowy daylight and pink sunsets.
Mereith was the first daughter born to Ralph Walker and Ruth Phillips Urton on the Trails End Ranch, Genou, Montana, July 15, 1914. She was one of seven children raised on a sheep ranch homestead where work and responsibility were endless and community gatherings gave welcome recreation. These happier times often took place with her beloved grandparents Dora and Otis Phillips around Ruth’s grand piano in the ranch’s sun porch off an inclusive kitchen always busy with work and meals. Mereith’s sis, Betty, had quoted their mother to say, “It was too terrible to remember and no one would believe it anyway,” when asked to recount homestead life stories.
From this challenging beginning, Mereith took opportunities and guidance to become a pianist, horse woman, sheep herder, and total participant in the survival and prosperity of her family’s enterprise.
On October 27, 1937 she married Norman Nygaard in Ft. Benton, Montana. Norman and Mereith met at the Trails End where Norman had been a ranch worker for the Urtons. They made their home north of Flaxton, North Dakota on the A. J. Nygaard Farm with Norman’s father, sister, Margaret and brother, Helmer. Norman and Mereith and Helmer and his wife, Wilma, farmed together until retirement. Mereith and Norman sought a winter home in Arizona, where their children completed college after also attending school in Flaxton, North Dakota.
Mereith is preceded in death by her husband, Norman, and siblings Paul Urton, Jim Urton, Betty Hodgson and Y’vonne Rowland. She is survived by her children Marcia Olney, Leland Nygaard, Connie Transue and Patricia Ross, her sister, Roberta Thomas and brother, Bill Urton, seven grand children, twelve step-grand children and great-grand children.
Service to her communities included membership in the Pull-Together Homemakers Club of Burke County, North Dakota, Parent-Teacher Organization of Flaxton Schools, Burke County Farmer’s Union, Superintendent of Needle Crafts at the Burke County Fair and Matriarch of the Rex Ranch, Amado, Arizona.
Her practical and creative passions produced many paintings, needlework articles, a bounty of canned and baked goods as well as quilt masterpieces. She loved sharing her crafts and enjoyed participation in classes and groups. Mereith bestowed the gifts of vitality, team-work, friendship and devotion upon he family and remained active and independent to the end. She was consistently adamant that the family’s children pursue education, the arts and athletics. Her rich legacy lives on in her final directive, “Encourage them!” We miss her.
Family of Mereith Urton Nygaard
From the Burke County (North Dakota) Tribune and the Green Valley (Arizona) News:
Mereith Urton Nygaard
July 15, 1914 – February 14, 2008
After a short illness Mereith Nygaard passed to spirit early in the morning of Thursday, February 14, 2008 with her children and family supporting her at the Rex Ranch, Amado, Arizona.
Her full life of almost 94 years ended at the home of her daughter Patricia and son-in-law, Wayne Ross, where she had come to be cared for. Mereith loved the Rex Ranch and its family and spent her last days looking out at the Santa Rita Mountains, watching their sunrises, shadowy daylight and pink sunsets.
Mereith was the first daughter born to Ralph Walker and Ruth Phillips Urton on the Trails End Ranch, Genou, Montana, July 15, 1914. She was one of seven children raised on a sheep ranch homestead where work and responsibility were endless and community gatherings gave welcome recreation. These happier times often took place with her beloved grandparents Dora and Otis Phillips around Ruth’s grand piano in the ranch’s sun porch off an inclusive kitchen always busy with work and meals. Mereith’s sis, Betty, had quoted their mother to say, “It was too terrible to remember and no one would believe it anyway,” when asked to recount homestead life stories.
From this challenging beginning, Mereith took opportunities and guidance to become a pianist, horse woman, sheep herder, and total participant in the survival and prosperity of her family’s enterprise.
On October 27, 1937 she married Norman Nygaard in Ft. Benton, Montana. Norman and Mereith met at the Trails End where Norman had been a ranch worker for the Urtons. They made their home north of Flaxton, North Dakota on the A. J. Nygaard Farm with Norman’s father, sister, Margaret and brother, Helmer. Norman and Mereith and Helmer and his wife, Wilma, farmed together until retirement. Mereith and Norman sought a winter home in Arizona, where their children completed college after also attending school in Flaxton, North Dakota.
Mereith is preceded in death by her husband, Norman, and siblings Paul Urton, Jim Urton, Betty Hodgson and Y’vonne Rowland. She is survived by her children Marcia Olney, Leland Nygaard, Connie Transue and Patricia Ross, her sister, Roberta Thomas and brother, Bill Urton, seven grand children, twelve step-grand children and great-grand children.
Service to her communities included membership in the Pull-Together Homemakers Club of Burke County, North Dakota, Parent-Teacher Organization of Flaxton Schools, Burke County Farmer’s Union, Superintendent of Needle Crafts at the Burke County Fair and Matriarch of the Rex Ranch, Amado, Arizona.
Her practical and creative passions produced many paintings, needlework articles, a bounty of canned and baked goods as well as quilt masterpieces. She loved sharing her crafts and enjoyed participation in classes and groups. Mereith bestowed the gifts of vitality, team-work, friendship and devotion upon he family and remained active and independent to the end. She was consistently adamant that the family’s children pursue education, the arts and athletics. Her rich legacy lives on in her final directive, “Encourage them!” We miss her.
Family of Mereith Urton Nygaard
Mereith Urton Nygaard
July 15, 1914 – February 14, 2008
After a short illness Mereith Nygaard passed to spirit early in the morning of Thursday, February 14, 2008 with her children and family supporting her at the Rex Ranch, Amado, Arizona.
Her full life of almost 94 years ended at the home of her daughter Patricia and son-in-law, Wayne Ross, where she had come to be cared for. Mereith loved the Rex Ranch and its family and spent her last days looking out at the Santa Rita Mountains, watching their sunrises, shadowy daylight and pink sunsets.
Mereith was the first daughter born to Ralph Walker and Ruth Phillips Urton on the Trails End Ranch, Genou, Montana, July 15, 1914. She was one of seven children raised on a sheep ranch homestead where work and responsibility were endless and community gatherings gave welcome recreation. These happier times often took place with her beloved grandparents Dora and Otis Phillips around Ruth’s grand piano in the ranch’s sun porch off an inclusive kitchen always busy with work and meals. Mereith’s sis, Betty, had quoted their mother to say, “It was too terrible to remember and no one would believe it anyway,” when asked to recount homestead life stories.
From this challenging beginning, Mereith took opportunities and guidance to become a pianist, horse woman, sheep herder, and total participant in the survival and prosperity of her family’s enterprise.
On October 27, 1937 she married Norman Nygaard in Ft. Benton, Montana. Norman and Mereith met at the Trails End where Norman had been a ranch worker for the Urtons. They made their home north of Flaxton, North Dakota on the A. J. Nygaard Farm with Norman’s father, sister, Margaret and brother, Helmer. Norman and Mereith and Helmer and his wife, Wilma, farmed together until retirement. Mereith and Norman sought a winter home in Arizona, where their children completed college after also attending school in Flaxton, North Dakota.
Mereith is preceded in death by her husband, Norman, and siblings Paul Urton, Jim Urton, Betty Hodgson and Y’vonne Rowland. She is survived by her children Marcia Olney, Leland Nygaard, Connie Transue and Patricia Ross, her sister, Roberta Thomas and brother, Bill Urton, seven grand children, twelve step-grand children and great-grand children.
Service to her communities included membership in the Pull-Together Homemakers Club of Burke County, North Dakota, Parent-Teacher Organization of Flaxton Schools, Burke County Farmer’s Union, Superintendent of Needle Crafts at the Burke County Fair and Matriarch of the Rex Ranch, Amado, Arizona.
Her practical and creative passions produced many paintings, needlework articles, a bounty of canned and baked goods as well as quilt masterpieces. She loved sharing her crafts and enjoyed participation in classes and groups. Mereith bestowed the gifts of vitality, team-work, friendship and devotion upon he family and remained active and independent to the end. She was consistently adamant that the family’s children pursue education, the arts and athletics. Her rich legacy lives on in her final directive, “Encourage them!” We miss her.
Family of Mereith Urton Nygaard
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